Track support



' H. A. KNOX May 6, 1947.

TRACK SUPPORT Filed Oct. 50, 1942 fig l 'Hnvr yA Knclx gg d /wzinmp mM Patented May 6, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT F Fl CE TRACK SUPPORT Harry A. Knox, Washington, TD. 0. Application October 30, 1942, Serial No. 463,872

3 Claims.

(Granted under the act of amended April 30, 1928;

The invention described herein may be manuiactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to the track of a track laying vehicle, particularly to a device for supporting the track.

It is an object of this invention to provide a support for the track of a track laying vehicle, especially of a vehicle utilizing a double track, which provides ready means for disassembling and is easily lubricated. The early tanks of the track-laying variety had a single track chain along each side. As tanks increased in size and weight it became necessary to increase the width of the track. However, a limit was soon reached in the possible width of thetrack, chiefly for structural reasons. This obstacle was met by providing a. double track along each side of the four rather than two track chains. Among the advantages of the double over'the single track, in addition to that of structural design, are that the two chains may be made to operate independently, and hence one may function even though the other is broken; their independent action facilitates the taking of curves, and compensates for road irregularities better than would a single wide chain.

The provision of double, independently operating track chains has given rise to the following problem in connection with the top rollers which serve to support the upper or idle run of the track. It became necessary to provide suitable top supports for the double track chain which would accommodate the independent operation of the two track chains thereof and which would be of suificiently small size to fit in the restricted clearance between the upper or idle run of the track chain and the lower or load-bearing run. It is the object of this invention to provide a top roller support for a double track chain which will overcome the difilculties mentioned above and others which will be more fully pointed out herein in connection with the specific description of the invention.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a longitudinal center section through an embodiment of the invention.

2-2 of Fig. 1.

tank, so that the larger tanks were built with Fig. 2 is a view in section substantially on line.

March 3, 1883, as 370 O. G. 757) 2 Fig. 3 is a view in section on line 3-3 of Fig. '1. Fig. 4 is a view in section on line 4--4 of Fig. 1. In the drawings, a portion of the vehicle body is shown at 2, while at 4 is shown an outside plate secured to the body by any suitable means, not shown. A flange type bracket 6 is secured to the body by nut-and-bolt assemblies 8. Bracket .6 has a plurality of spaced ribs 9 which reinforce the bracket. Another flange type bracket 10 is secured to plate 4 by nut-and-bolt assemblies l2. Bracket H! has a plurality of spaced ribs I3 to strengthen it. A pin M has threaded ends "5 which extend through the brackets and are held in non-rotative relationthereto by keys 18., Nuts 20 engage the threaded ends to clamp the .pin securely between the brackets.

Bearing surfaces 22 are provided between shoulders .24 of the shaft, and flanges 26 andZB of bracket 6 and [0 respectively. Additionally collars 30 are provided adjacent shoulders 24. The bearing surfaces 22 are load bearing surfaces to support anti friction bearings 32. There are preferably two such bearings for each tracksupporting roller 34. Bearings 32 are spaced apart by sleeves 36 which are stationary on the pin l4. Each bearing comprises an inner race 38 pressed onto pin M, an outer race 40 pressed into roller 34, and balls 42. Any suitable oil seal 44 may be provided at each end of each roller 34 to minimize leak of lubricant out of the bearings. Pin M has a hollow, or passage, 48 which opens radially at 48 to communicate with the bearings and out at the right end of the pin, where a lubricating fitting 50 is provided.

Portions of the vehicle track shoes are shown at 52 in dotted lines. The shoes run on rubber facings 53 on rollers 34. Shoes 52 are provided with projecting guide lugs 54. Note that brackets 6 and II] are cut away or relieved at 56 and 58 respectively to provide clearance for the shoe lugs. Similarly, pin M is cut away at 60, 62, and 64.

It will be noted that the wall 2 is an inner wall of a vehicle, and the wall 4 is an outer wall of a vehicle, and the walls 2 and 4 are spaced a sufilcient distance apart to permit the operation of double tracks 52 as is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

It is thus seen that the improved support for the upper, idle run of this invention is able to accommodate the two independently-operating tracks, and to provide independently-rotative rollers 53, 53 one for each of the two tracks, which rollers are of comparatively small outside diameter so that they may be received in the restricted clearance underlying the track hains 52,

. 3 52. The two rollers 53, 53 are so spaced on the stationary pin that ample clearance is provided to the left of the left roller, Fig. 1, for the left guide lug 54 of the left chain and between the two rollers, for the right guide lug 54 of the left chain and the left guide lug 54 of the right chain, and finally, to the right of the right roller, for the right guide lug 54 of the right chain. It will also be seen that the top portion of stationary pin [4 has been cut away to provide clearance for the tips of the guide lugs 54 f the track chain. Also, the upper portion of the brackets 6 and I02 are cut away between their flange supports and their distal collars 26 and 28 to provide clearance for, respectively, the left side guide lug of the left track chain and the right guide lug of the right track chain.

By reason of the restricted space in which the track-supporting rollers may be received between the upper or idle run of the track and the lower or load-bearing run, the above described method of internal lubrication had been designed. The roller 34 is provided with a central cavity, clearly seen in Fig. 1, for the lubricant which is forced through the inner passage 46 of stationary pin 14 and the radial passages 48. On both sides of the said central cavity the roller 34 is provided with side recesses for antifriction bearings 32, the inner races 38 of which are secured to stationary pin l4 while the outer races 40 are secured to the roller 34 to rotate therewith. The pair of inner stationary races 38 are held securely in place by a sleeve 36 whichls provided with holes registering with the radial passages 48 of the stationary pin l4.

It will further be seen from Fig. 1 that the flange portion of bracket 6, which is bolted to vehicle body 2, is of dished construction to provide clearance for the nut 20, which is screwed on the left end of stationary pin l4. Similarly, the flange portion of bracket l0, which is bolted to auxiliary frame 4, is dished to provide clearance for nut 20 at the right end of stationary pin I4.

I claim:

1. A support for a double track for disposal between two wall portions of a vehicle comprising opposed axially apertured, flanged members having flange portions on opposite ends thereof disposed on said wall portions, a shaft keyed in the axial apertures of said flanged members, spaced rollers rotatably mounted on said shaftand seals for each side of said rollers, the flange on the inner side of said flange members opposite the flange adjacent the wall member forming one of the-seals of said rollers.

2. A support as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flange members have a recessed portion, and fastening members are disposed on the end of said shaft and in the recesses of said flanged members.

3. A support for a double track for disposal between two wall portions of a vehicle comprising axially apertured recessed flange members having innerand outer flange portions, means for fastening the outer portions of said flange members adjacent each of said walls, a shaft keyed in the axial apertures of said outer flange portions, spaced supporting rollers rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to support a track, and lubricating seals for the sides ofsaid rollers, the inner flange portions of said flange members comprising one of said seals.

HAR Y A. KNOX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: i

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,284,821 Heaslet June 2; 1942 2,264,635 Graham Dec. 2, 1941 745,525 Rockwell Dec. 1, 1903 2,038,293 Jacob 1 Apr. 21, 1936 1,318,188 Tritton Oct. '7, 1919 1,673,541 Wilson 1 June '12, 1928 1,870,632

Kennedy Aug. 9, 1932 

